By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Feb 26: The Sarawak hydrogen hub will be ready by 2027, announced Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
According to Abang Johari, the completion of the hydrogen hub in 2027 means that the State has a plant that produces hydrogen in collaboration with Korea, with companies such as Lotte Chemical, Samsung Engineering, and others serving as off-takers.
“In addition, we use hydrogen for domestic purposes. Let’s say we want to keep 7,000 tonnes of hydrogen for domestic use. This hydrogen will then become energy for the industries with a base in Sarawak,” he told reporters when met following the opening ceremony of the Borneo Energy Transition Conference (BETC2024) today at a hotel here.
Meanwhile, during the Premier’s keynote speech, he stated that the hydrogen hub aims to supply clean hydrogen, including ammonia and methylcyclohexane (MCH), to Sarawak’s downstream facilities.
“The hydrogen hub concept is divided into upstream hydrogen production (H2 production) and downstream hydrogen derivatives.
“This demonstrates the hydrogen hub’s ability to cater to multiple investors through the plug-and-play concept. Silicon Valley has a foundry called ‘Plug and Play’.
“So, Sarawak has become another Silicon Valley, with a plug-and-play concept for investors, particularly the electrolyser modules, as well as other facilities that can be shared with the hydrogen hub and managed and operated by SEDC Energy (SEDCE) and Gentari Hydrogen,” he explained.
Furthermore, based on a press handout, clean energy solutions provider Gentari Sdn Bhd (Gentari) through its subsidiary Gentari Hydrogen Sdn Bhd, has signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with SEDC Energy Sdn Bhd (SEDCE), a subsidiary of the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), for the joint development of a centralised hydrogen production hub in Sarawak’s Bintulu, to be known as the Sarawak H2 Hub.
The document exchange was witnessed today at the BETC2024 by Abang Johari. SEDCE has been tasked to kickstart the new energy ecosystem in Sarawak in line with the state government’s vision to emphasise using new and cleaner energy.
The planned global-scale hydrogen production hub in Bintulu is intended to serve as the sole supplier of green hydrogen for downstream facilities in the Bintulu division area, managed by a joint venture company to be formed by Gentari and SEDCE, which will also be responsible for optimising all hydrogen production projects within the region.
Gentari and SEDC Energy had previously entered into a Strategic Collaboration Agreement to explore potential collaborations in the development and provision of integrated clean energy solutions and contribution to policy and regulatory development in the State.
Amongst those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian; Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni; Deputy Minister for International Trade, Industry, and Investment Datuk Malcolm Mussen Lamoh; SEDC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain; Petronas Group chief executive officer (CEO) Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad (MARC) Group CEO Datuk Jamaludin Nasir, and SEDCE CEO Robert Hardin. — DayakDaily
